Dealing with a shop bill 3x quote

[ajcampen]

Need a little advice. Took my boat to a dealer to get fiber glass warranty work. Was also going to have them repair a pinky size chip in fiber glass where I dropped a Allen wrench (or back to the wench discussion) and a chip in rear (thumb chip) where fiber glass came off near where my boat buckle connects. Service manager gave me a quote for $350 for the repairs on my dime. Just got a bill for $975 vs the quote. Never got a call about price of work changing. Service manager was out training Saturday when I got the emailed bill. Any advice of how to deal with this? I am hoping service manager will figure out what the hell happened and do something. Thanks

[AsLan7]

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Sorry to hear this AJC. Hopefully just a simple misunderstanding.

Do you happen to have the original $350 quote and what it would entail in writing?

.

[cmattj]

Need a little advice. Took my boat to a dealer to get fiber glass warranty work. Was also going to have them repair a pinky size chip in fiber glass where I dropped a Allen ranch and a chip in rear (thumb chip) where fiber glass came off near where my boat buckle connects. Service manager gave me a quote for $350 for the repairs on my dime. Just got a bill for $975 vs the quote. Never got a call about price of work changing. Service manager was out training Saturday when I got the emailed bill. Any advice of how to deal with this? I am hoping service manager will figure out what the hell happened and do something. Thanks

As we have discussed this issue before in the "Marine industry", it appears the laxy dazy on estimates and revised estimates comes up alot.
In states that require estimates to be revised after a diagnostics estimate is contracted, the owner must agree to the terms before work can be completed as per the verbal contract over the phone, or in person. Hence the term "revised estimate".

On vehicles with vin numbers.. B.A.R (bureau of automotive repair) becomes involved when an customer feels the process wasn't followed. The agreed estimate cannot exceed tax as quoted, and agreed upon. The marine industry customer only seeks BBB (better business bureau) for its mediation, and has less of a fear to Marine repair facilities. but it is just as damaging.

My GM Service advisors have miss quoted estimates, and we take care of the miss with no questions PRIOR to the phone call that the vehicle is completed. (as that's is our reputation and the proper legal way to conduct business) We have our customer sign acknowledging the change in the estimate prior to them leaving, so all parties are happy.

So as BB and others here in the industry will tell you....... its our consumer fear that allows this to happen time and time again, and the customer sometimes doesn't know their rights in the estimate and revised estimate proceeds.

Of course call the service manager and discuss what was contracted to be done . Even time and material estimates are capped until new discovers are made. They have to give you your boat at the agreed on price. Plain and simple.

[ajcampen]

.
Sorry to hear this AJC. Hopefully just a simple misunderstanding.

Do you happen to have the original $350 quote and what it would entail in writing?

.

It was over the phone.

[ajcampen]

Need a little advice. Took my boat to a dealer to get fiber glass warranty work. Was also going to have them repair a pinky size chip in fiber glass where I dropped a Allen ranch and a chip in rear (thumb chip) where fiber glass came off near where my boat buckle connects. Service manager gave me a quote for $350 for the repairs on my dime. Just got a bill for $975 vs the quote. Never got a call about price of work changing. Service manager was out training Saturday when I got the emailed bill. Any advice of how to deal with this? I am hoping service manager will figure out what the hell happened and do something. Thanks

As we have discussed this issue before in the "Marine industry", it appears the laxy dazy on estimates and revised estimates comes up alot.
In states that require estimates to be revised after a diagnostics estimate is contracted, the owner must agree to the terms before work can be completed as per the verbal contract over the phone, or in person. Hence the term "revised estimate".

On vehicles with vin numbers.. B.A.R (bureau of automotive repair) becomes involved when an customer feels the process wasn't followed. The agreed estimate cannot exceed tax as quoted, and agreed upon. The marine industry customer only seeks BBB (better business bureau) for its mediation, and has less of a fear to Marine repair facilities. but it is just as damaging.

My GM Service advisors have miss quoted estimates, and we take care of the miss with no questions PRIOR to the phone call that the vehicle is completed. (as that's is our reputation and the proper legal way to conduct business) We have our customer sign acknowledging the change in the estimate prior to them leaving, so all parties are happy.

So as BB and others here in the industry will tell you....... its our consumer fear that allows this to happen time and time again, and the customer sometimes doesn't know their rights in the estimate and revised estimate proceeds.

Of course call the service manager and discuss what was contracted to be done . Even time and material estimates are capped until new discovers are made. They have to give you your boat at the agreed on price. Plain and simple.

Matt, your response is why I love CC...we all have expertise and are so kind friends we have never met. Thank you


Law is the law so something fishy happened.

Whole experience was weird. I called them dec or nov about the work. They said the shop mirror image would do it (I talked to shop manager there - brother of service manager at dealer and his quote was $380) so the $350 quote was where I expected it. They never took it to that shop. A little weird but service manager was out of town the whole time. So hopefully he can fill in what the hell happened. Appreciate the advice.

First call I will be pleasant and ask him to figure out what went south and why I was never called.

[Big Block Power]

Need a little advice. Took my boat to a dealer to get fiber glass warranty work. Was also going to have them repair a pinky size chip in fiber glass where I dropped a Allen ranch and a chip in rear (thumb chip) where fiber glass came off near where my boat buckle connects. Service manager gave me a quote for $350 for the repairs on my dime. Just got a bill for $975 vs the quote. Never got a call about price of work changing. Service manager was out training Saturday when I got the emailed bill. Any advice of how to deal with this? I am hoping service manager will figure out what the hell happened and do something. Thanks

As we have discussed this issue before in the "Marine industry", it appears the laxy dazy on estimates and revised estimates comes up alot.
In states that require estimates to be revised after a diagnostics estimate is contracted, the owner must agree to the terms before work can be completed as per the verbal contract over the phone, or in person. Hence the term "revised estimate".

On vehicles with vin numbers.. B.A.R (bureau of automotive repair) becomes involved when an customer feels the process wasn't followed. The agreed estimate cannot exceed tax as quoted, and agreed upon. The marine industry customer only seeks BBB (better business bureau) for its mediation, and has less of a fear to Marine repair facilities. but it is just as damaging.

My GM Service advisors have miss quoted estimates, and we take care of the miss with no questions PRIOR to the phone call that the vehicle is completed. (as that's is our reputation and the proper legal way to conduct business) We have our customer sign acknowledging the change in the estimate prior to them leaving, so all parties are happy.

So as BB and others here in the industry will tell you....... its our consumer fear that allows this to happen time and time again, and the customer sometimes doesn't know their rights in the estimate and revised estimate proceeds.

Of course call the service manager and discuss what was contracted to be done . Even time and material estimates are capped until new discovers are made. They have to give you your boat at the agreed on price. Plain and simple.

100% agree Matt.
We get threatened all day long with social media. I hate that threat. It's our reputation. I and we work very hard every day to make it a great experience. I just wish People understood that we didn't come to work today just to screw you up. We take pride in what we do and want to do it right. If we screw up I fix it plain and simple. I get very frustrated when my employees misquote or don't communicate. It's such a simple job but some make it very hard.
Bbb will get it fix it if he doesn't.
It will work out Aj.

[ajcampen]

Thanks BBP

[Ytmsn]

$350 seems crazy high to fix 2 chips. For $975 I'd have a comeapart. For that price they better fill me up with gas, detail the interior and wax the outside. And maybe rub my shoulders while they're at it...

[Big Block Power]

$350 seems crazy high to fix 2 chips. For $975 I'd have a comeapart. For that price they better fill me up with gas, detail the interior and wax the outside. And maybe rub my shoulders while they're at it...

Yt I think they rubbed something else.

[Ytmsn]

Feet? Eww

[ajcampen]

Dealership stepped up and lived up to their quote + $50. The service manager was upfront on the quote and said it went to their more expensive fiberglass option or the two subs and that was their mistake. So I will pick her up Friday with her drive serviced/inspected/pulled and lubed and vv Mobil installed.

My list for balance of the spring to do is

1) install drive shower finally (could only get one nut loose, the other I assume they used heat to get the rubber to melt when drive serviced).
2) have seat skin installed (having done on way home by a former Baja interior factory guy)
3) pull propeller and grease
4) wax with my never used adam’s swirling killer

....Ready to launch for summer!

Could of done the vv Mobil install myself but wanted to throw the dealer some work bc they let me transfer my warranty work from southern Ohio to their dealership

Only other project is tower speakers to get locally done in Columbus bc I decided to not have dealer do transom speakers

[Big Block Power]

Good deal Aj. Glad you found them then.

[cmattj]

Nice to hear but not surprising as they did the right thing . And will earn your loyalty in the future! Now time to get her ready!

[akorcovelos]

Love hearing of dealers that really own their mistakes, sounds like you found a winner.